Lye Soap Making
Making lye soap is very easy, and you don’t have to devote much time to it, unlike the other processes. Because there are harmful substances that can cause dangerous burns to the skin and eyes, there are many precautions to take when making the soap.
But in today’s world, the process of lye soap making is already perfected to avoid the accidents that can occur during the mixture of lye and other ingredients. With this, you can also find a lot of lye soap recipes on the internet that can guide you along with the safety tips and reminders in making the soap. Another good thing here is that you will also find some tips on how to market your products if you are planning to sell them to other people.
Before you start making your lye soap, you should be equipped with the proper knowledge of the correct tools and ingredients that you will use. When mixing the ingredients, it’s best to use wood, plastic, enamel, and glass tools. You will also need boxes, wooden spoons, and stockpots for lye soap making.
As for the ingredients, you need shortening, vegetable oil vinegar, coloring for the soap water, essential oils and fragrances, coconut oil, non-virgin olive oil, and lye. If you already have the tools and ingredients, then you are ready to make your lye soap. Be sure to have the correct lye soap recipe before you start. So that you will not encounter accidents.
Making Lye Soap
Lye soap has been in most cultures for thousands of years already. During ancient times, soap was made when lard was abundant and after the butchering stage. There may be links between the lard and the lye, this is because the ashes from the wood used to cook the fat were used to make the soap.
In today’s world, two methods are used to make lye soap: the hot process and the cold process methods. Both have advantages and disadvantages, so if you’re going to make lye soap, go with the easy and safe option. Many manufacturers prefer the hot process method because it takes less time to make lye soap.
There are just complexities in using this kind of process. That’s why many people opt to use the cold process instead. The cold process method may take several weeks before finishing the soap, and this is the downside of this process.
Mixing the water and lye is called saponification, in which the chemical reactions between the two substances take place. In this process, the glycerin and soap molecules are also produced that are very important in any soap-making process.
Because lye is known to have harmful properties, finding it in your local stores will be difficult. Though the substance is not banned from being distributed, the store owners just voluntarily pulled out the lye substance from their shelves. But there are still ways to purchase the substances. Some online stores and suppliers still sell lye in quantities that you need. So you can still have lye soap for sale if you are planning to market the product. People are still looking for soap because there are so many lye soaps used that they can benefit from.
The Advantages of Making Lye Soap
Many lye soap benefits are why you can find lye soap for sale both on the internet and in local stores. With the research done on this soap, lye soap is used to clean the skin. In this way, lye soap acne is one of the reasons why many people purchase the product. The soap is also known to help moisturize the skin, and on the contrary to being a harmful substance before saponification, the soap is so gentle that people can use it safely.
Cautions in Lye Soap Making
I mentioned earlier that there should be safety precautions that you need to consider when making lye soap. You must know the correct way to mix the ingredients to avoid accidents and burns. Safety goggles and gloves should also be used when making the soap. You should have a working space far from the area where you eat and prepare your food.
One of the first steps is in mixing the water and lye. You should gradually add the lye to the water in this procedure, not the other way around. Adding the water to the lye may cause an explosion.
Basic Cold Process Procedures
It’s time to add the solution to the oil mixture after successfully mixing the water and lye. Mix the soap mixture until you have a thick mixture, where you can add the fragrances and colorants that you like. Get the mold and pour in the soap mixture. Wait for 24 hours before the soap can set. Allow the soaps to cure for 4 to 6 weeks.
Lye soap is a product that can easily market because there are many lye soap benefits. Lye soap acne is the main reason for purchasing the product since lye soap can clean and moisturize the skin well. Don’t forget to market the lye soap used. So that you will have a successful business in this field.